MK HeroClix House Rules

Monday, 31 January 2011

Labels A to Z, Part 15 MS Wars only

Abilities/Skills - MSW - A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of work, some general skills would include time management, teamwork and leadership, self motivation and others, whereas domain-specific skills would be useful only for a certain job. Skill usually requires certain environmental stimuli and situations to assess the level of skill being shown and used. People need a broad range of skills in order to contribute to a modern economy and take their place in the technological society of the 21st century. An ASTD study showed that through technology, the workplace is changing, and so are the skills that employees must have to be able to change with it.

Carrier - MSW - Vehicles that are able to transport Infantry, Vehicles and Mecha.

Infantry - MSW - Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on discipline, fitness, physical strength and aggression. Infantrymen are distinguished from soldiers trained to fight on horseback (cavalry), in tanks, or in technical roles such as armourers or signallers, but basic infantry skills are fundamental to the training of any soldier, and soldiers of any branch of an army are expected to serve as auxiliary infantry (e.g., patrolling and security) when necessary. Infantry can access and maneuver in terrain inaccessible to vehicles and tanks, and employ infantry support weapons that can provide firepower in the absence of artillery. Since the end of the Second World War the infantry has become a smaller part of armies of the Western world, constituting typically between 10% and 30% of an army's personnel. Despite still often representing the largest individual arm, with the exception of logistics, this is vastly reduced from pre-war levels. For instance, in the United States Army of 2009 there were only approximately 49,000 infantrymen out of about 450,000 active duty enlisted personnel. This reflects the greatly increased requirement for technical and logistical specialists in Western armies, resulting from the increasing complexity of military technology and equipment and an increased recognition of the importance of logistics in warfare. In armies of developing world nations, infantry still accounts for a majority of soldiers, but they are often lacking adequate training in infantry tactics and resources to be as effective as other infantry.

Jeeps - MSW - Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler. It is the oldest off-road vehicle (also sport utility vehicle – SUV) brand. It inspired a number of other military Light Utility Vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second oldest 4-wheel-drive brand. The original Jeep vehicle that first appeared as the prototype Bantam BRC became the primary light 4-wheel-drive vehicle of the United States Army and Allies during World War II, as well as the postwar period. Many Jeep variants serving similar military and civilian roles have since been created in other nations.

Mecha - MSW - Mecha (genre), also known as mechs (plural), or mech (singular), is a broad genre of vehicles (normally walking vehicles) which are usually controlled by a pilot. Mechs often appear in anime, science fiction, and other genres involving fantastic or futuristic elements. Mechs are generally, though not necessarily, bipedal, with arms, hands, and usually fingers capable of grasping objects. A mech that approximates the shape of a human body may allow the use of martial arts movements and swordsmanship, ceremonial acts of honor, saluting, and other human mannerisms that cannot be performed using a tank or airplane. In most fiction in which they appear, mecha are war machines: essentially armored fighting vehicles with legs instead of treads or wheels. Some stories, such as the manga Patlabor and American wargame BattleTech, also encompass mechs used for civilian purposes such as heavy construction work, police functions or firefighting. Some science fiction universes posit that mecha are the primary means of combat, with conflicts sometimes being decided through gladiatorial matches. Others represent mecha as one component of an integrated military force, supported by and fighting alongside tanks, fighter aircraft, and infantry, functioning as a mechanical cavalry. The applications often highlight the theoretical usefulness of such a device, combining a tank's resilience and fire power with infantry's ability to cross unstable terrain. In other cases they are demonstrated with a greater versatility in armament, such as in the Armored Core series of video games where mecha can utilize their hands to carry a wide range of armament in the same manner as a person albeit on a much larger scale. The distinction between true mechs and their smaller cousins (and likely progenitors), the powered armor, or exoskeletal battlesuits, is blurred; according to one definition, a mech is piloted while powered armor is worn. Anything large enough to have a cockpit where the pilot is seated is generally considered a mech. Rarely, mechs have been used in a fantasy convention, most notably in the anime series Aura Battler Dunbine, The Vision of Escaflowne, Panzer World Galient and Maze. In those cases, the mech designs are usually based on some alternative or 'lost' science-fiction technology from ancient times.

Next time I should be covering Mecha d20/Anime d20, Neccromunda, Small Mecha, Tank and Updates. Until next time, have fun.